Adjustable concrete pilaster form



United States Patent [72] lnventor Edward L. Oueilhe,.lr 1,020,164 3/1912 Symons........................ 249/210X 9004 Locust Ave., Fontana, Calif. 92335 249/210X 758,473

1,466,830 9/1923 Hayward...................... 1 PP Prinzar y Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser 2g ted 522 Assistant Examiner-DeWalden W. Jones 1 a en Attorney-John Holtrichter, .Ir

Sn... og .sr n one w m am ea t C e IE r. n m o mo ng. 5 rs .1 nd 1 h e a OmS Sm S 8 0 a e 6 0. P0 0 n m u m m l e E6 m h n .l t s e .0 0w 3.... m 0. S n .m t c ABSTRACT: This form includes a plurality of clam connecting forming board members to with the ends of spaced wall sections tionship with a concrete pilaster column to be clamp means includes a backing member disposed approximately parallel to the wall se spaced side members swivelly mounted on the backin member and releasably held in a predetermined an tionship therebetween by diagonally dis ing blocks. When the braces are relea and the forming boards may be swung to an 0 placing the form about the reinforcin g rods and for removing the form from the encompassing relationship Means are also provided for releasably holding the form together and to the wall sections.

S T N m M A 9 S a m MA rT rh S D E H N U m Ur 1,292,986 2/1919 Ambursen.................... 249/189X ADJUSTABLE CONCRETE PILASTER FORM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

The background of the invention will be set forth in two parts;

1. Field of the Invention 1 The present invention pertains generally to the field of concrete forming members and more particularly to a concrete pilaster form having pivotally connected clamp means for ease of erection and disassembly.

2. Description of the Prior Art Forms for fabricating upright concrete pilaster columns between two spaced wall sections are well known in the art. These columns nearly always have reinforcing steel rods in the center thereof and are formed by securing together wooden forming boards in spaced relationship surrounding the reinforcing steel.

One method that is still prevalently used in the fabricating of these forms is to simply use wooden cleats that overlap the sides of the forming boards and are nailed to these abutting boards along the edges thereof. Of course, there is little expense in using the wooden cleats but the form, once completed, must be broken down completely and the boards stripped from the concrete column. Also, the labor costs of this method of construction and dismantling are very high.

Another method that is used in the building industry is to hold opposite forming boards in spaced relationship adjacent the space between two walls in encompassing relationship by transversely disposed steel rods having clamps at each end. Some of these rods are tapered and may be pulled out once the concrete has set and the clamps released. For those rods that are not tapered, the ends protruding from the column are cut off after the forming boards have been stripped off.

This last-mentioned technique has the disadvantage of requiring each column form to be fabricated to a particular size and not readily adjustable to accommodate different column dimensions. Each such column so fabricated must be individually stripped not only of the forming boards but also a plurality of transversely disposed rods. This is a very time consuming and costly job. A further disadvantage of this method is the difficulty in holding the various forming boards in place while the transverse rods are placed in position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing factors and conditions characteristic of concrete pilaster forms, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and useful concrete pilaster form not subject to the disadvantages enumerated above and having improved clamp means especially designed for forming upright concrete pilaster columns between spaced wall members efficiently, safely and expeditiously.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful concrete pilaster form of the type described including adjustable clamp means, whereby a concrete pilaster form may be readily adjusted for use in fabricating various sizes of upright concrete pilaster columns.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful concrete pilaster form of the type described which may be easily attached to the ends of two spaced wall sections wherebetween is disposed upstanding reinforcing steel, and after the concrete has been poured and has set, can be swung to an open position for removal from the. finished concrete column.

According to the invention, a concrete pilaster form is provided which includes forming board members for forming an upright concrete pilaster column between two spaced wall sections and having reinforcing steel in the approximate center thereof. Clamp means are provided for connecting the forming board members and the wall sections together in encompassing relationship with the pilaster column. Each clamp means includes a backing member positioned approximately parallel to and spaced from the wall sections and also includes two spaced side members each swivelly mounted on the backing member and each capable of being positioned orthogonal to the backing member with corresponding ends of the side members abutting different ones of the wall sections. Also included are bracing means for releasably connecting the backing member and the side members in the above-mentioned orthogonal relationship while holding means connected to the clamp means are utilized for releasably maintaining the form in the encompassing relationship.

The side members and the backing member may be provided with forming board member receiving faces with means for affixing the forming board members to these faces.

The pilaster form may be quickly and easily changed from one column size to another column size by simply removing modular widths of forming board members from the clamp means and by engaging pins means in preselected apertures provided in the side members and the backing member.

The features of the present invention which-are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of use together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a concrete pilaster form of the present invention during the positioning thereof about reinforcing steel between two spaced wall sections;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of a squaring lock that may be used with the invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring again to the drawings, a concrete pilaster form constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, generally designated 11, may be used for fabricating an upright concrete pilaster form column, generally designated 13, between two spaced wall sections 13 and 15 and having reinforcing rods 19 of such materials as steel disposed at the approximate center thereof.

The concrete pilaster form 11 includes a plurality of clamp means 21, each including a backing member 23, positioned approximately parallel to and spaced from the wall sections 15 and 17. Also included are two spaced side members 25 and 27, each swivelly mounted on the backing member 23 and each capable of being positioned orthogonally to the backing member 23 and with corresponding ends 29 and 31 of respective side members 25 and 27 abutting different ones of the wall sections 15 and 17 (see FIG. 2). The side members 25 and 27 pivot about respective pins 33 and 35 which may be permanently attached to the side members or which may be made removable, such as incorporated in a squaring lock member 37 as illustrated in FIG. 3, for example.

The orthogonal relationship between the backing members 23 and the side members 25 and 27 may be maintained during the concrete pouring and setting procedure by the use of bracing means 39 which is shown releasably mounted between these two elements. The bracing means 39 may take any of several forms, two of which are illustrated herein. For example, a brace member 41 having locking pins 43 and 45 affixed at each end 47 and 49 thereof may be used by inserting each of these pins in different ones of a plurality of apertures 51 in the backing member 23 and a plurality of apertures 53 and 55 in the side members 25 and 27, respectively. The pins may be simply rods with tapered ends for 138 ease of insertion in the apertures or they may be conventional locking-type pins with spring loaded protrusions 57 (FIG. 3) that are adapted to be snapped into place so that there will be no chance of accidental dislodging by vibrational forces, for example.

FIG. 3 illustrates another manner in which the orthogonal relationship, or any other angular relationship, may be maintained. Here, the squaring lock member 37 is shown to comprise a right angle portion 59 that has an arm portion 61 welded or otherwise attached thereto and which in turn is adapted to hold by riveting, for example, the locking type pin 33.

in preparation for the concrete pouring procedure, a backup forming board member 63 comprising a single sheet 65 of plywood, for example, or a pair of wood sheets 65 and 67 separated by vertical stringers 69 for added strength is placed in overlapping relationship with the two spaced wall sections and 17. Attached to the backing member 23 by wood rivets 71, for example, is a backing forming board member 73 extending in its width dimension between the two side members 25 and 27. Similarly attached to these side members are respectively disposed side forming board members 75 and 77 to thus completely encompass, along with ends 79 and 81 of the wall sections 15 and 17, the reinforcing rods 19. The complete clamp means 21 is maintained in this position by the use of a single tapered rod or taper-tie 83, also known as a she-bolt", that extends through an aperture 85 in a bracing box 87 attached to the backing member 23 and through an aperture (not shown) drilled in the backup forming board member 63. The taper-tie 83 is of conventional construction and adapted to be held in position by use of what is known as a cathead 89 adjacent the bracing box 87 as seen in the uppermost view of the clamp means 21 in FIG. 1.

As can be seen, the clamp means 21 may be fabricated from angle iron stock for strength and economy, and the form 11 may be easily and quickly removed for further use by merely removing at least one of the locking pins of the bracing means 39 (or by disengaging one end of a brace member 41 where the pin is permanently attached thereto). Of course, in the case of the squaring lock member 37, this member is pulled upward to release its pin 33. This procedure will then allow the side members 25 and 27, along with their attached side forming board members 75 and 77, to be swung away from the concrete pilaster column 13 as indicated by the arrows 91. Although there is illustrated two different types of bracing means 39 used for each clamp means 21, the same type of bracing means may be used for both positions.

By employing a plurality of apertures in the various members of the clamp means 21, it should be clear that the invention can be readily adjusted for various column dimensions or angles. It should also be understood that the pilaster form 11 may also incorporate a matching clamp means 21 on the opposite side of the wall sections as that shown by replacing the backup forming board member. This then will provide a pilaster column that extends beyond both faces of the wall sections.

While the particular concrete pilaster form herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims which form a part of this disclosure.

lclaim:

l. in a concrete pilaster form including forming board members for fabricating an upright concrete pilaster column with reinforcing rods in the approximate center thereof between spaced wall sections in generally a common plane, the improvement comprising:

clamp means for connecting said forming board members and said wall sections together in encompassing relationship with said concrete pilaster column, said clamp means including a backing member positioned approximately parallel to and spaced from said wall sections, said clamp means also including two spaced side members each swivelly mounted on said backing member and each capable of being positioned orthogonally to said backing member and with corresponding ends of said side members abutting different ones of said wall sections;

bracing means for releasably connecting said backing member and said side members in a predetermined angular relationship; and

holding means connected to said clamp means for releasably maintaining said form in said encompassing relationship.

2. An improvement as stated in claim 1, wherein each of said side members and said backing member is provided with at least one forming board member receiving face and wherein said improvement includes means for affixing said forming board members to said face.

3. An improvement as stated in claim 1, wherein said side members and said backing member are fabricated from L- shaped angle irons, the angle irons of said side members having vertical legs facing in a common direction and the angle iron backing member having its vertical leg facing in an opposite direction.

4. An improvement as stated in claim 1, wherein said backing member and said side members include a plurality of aligned apertures and wherein said clamp means also includes pivot members swivelly connecting eachsaid side members to said backing member through desired ones of said aligned apertures.

5. An improvement as stated in claim 4, wherein said bracing means includes a length of angle iron having a pin disposed at each end thereof, at least one of said pins being removable to allow said bracing means and a corresponding one of said side members to swivel away from said pilaster column.

6. An improvement as stated in claim 1, wherein said holding means includes a bracing box attached to said backing member between said side members, and wherein said holding means also includes a taper-tie rod disposed through an aperture in said bracing box and in a forming board member disposed on the side of said wall sections opposite from said clamping means.

7. An improvement as stated in claim 1, wherein said clamping means further includes a backing member and two spaced and pivotally mounted side members with associated bracing means disposed on the opposite side of said wall sections but cooperating with said first-mentioned backing and side members. 

